Break in Nancy Guthrie Case Fizzles after Doorbell Footage Release, Suspect Freed
A potential break in the Nancy Guthrie case quickly turned into a dead end late Tuesday night when a suspect who had been detained hours earlier was released.
The possible breakthrough came the same day law enforcement released photos and video footage of an armed, masked intruder from a Nest doorbell camera the night Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson, Ariz., home. The footage shows an individual – believed to be a stocky man – wearing a ski mask, gloves, and a backpack at her front door. He then disassembles the doorbell, causing the recording to end.
Hours after the images and video were released, the Pima County Sheriff's Office and the FBI searched a home and detained a man in Rio Rico, Ariz., about an hour south of Tucson. But after law enforcement questioned him, he was released.
“I hope they get the suspect, because I’m not it,” he told the Arizona Republic. “They better do their job and find the suspect that did it so they can clear my name. Because I’m done.”
Law enforcement broke his front door and garage, he said. He added he didn’t know why his name came to their attention.
“If I would have known that answer, I would have given it to you, but I don’t,” he said.
He works as a delivery driver – and said he didn’t know who Savannah Guthrie or Nancy Guthrie are.
“I don’t follow the news,” he told the newspaper.
Savannah Guthrie is the host of NBC’s Today, whose mother, Nancy, was reported missing Feb. 1, when she failed to show up at a home with friends for a virtual church service.
Law enforcement says they found droplets of blood from the mother outside the front door.
The FBI obtained the footage even though Nancy Guthrie did not subscribe to the cloud service that automatically stores recordings.
“Over the last eight days, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department have been working closely with our private sector partners to continue to recover any images or video footage from Nancy Guthrie’s home that may have been lost, corrupted, or inaccessible due to a variety of factors, including the removal of recording devices.”
said a Feb. 10 statement from the Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI. “The video was recovered from residual data located in backend systems.”
Savannah Guthrie, on her Instagram Tuesday, asked the public to continue to pray.
“We believe that, somehow, someway, she is feeling these prayers, and that God is lifting her even in this moment,” Guthrie said.
Related Articles
Today' Show Host Savannah Guthrie's Mother Reported Missing, Police Declare Home a Crime Scene
Sheriff Believes Savannah Guthrie’s Mother Is Still Alive as Ransom Note Is Investigated
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images / Brandon Bell / Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published February 11, 2026.
